FDA FERN Cooperative Agreement Program (U18) PAR-09-215 Proposal Abstract The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Microbiology Laboratory seeks funding through the FDA FERN Cooperative Agreement Program for $249,943 to become a FERN-funded laboratory. The Microbiology Laboratory currently participates in two food testing programs, one through our agency's Food Safety Program and one through a Cooperative Agreement with USDA (Microbiological Data Program). In 2008 our Laboratory conducted over 16,000 individual tests on over 5,000 food and dairy samples. Because of our extensive food testing experience, we feel the WSDA Microbiology Laboratory is ideally positioned to become a FERN-funded laboratory and be successful in taking on the work associated with this Cooperative Agreement. In addition, this Cooperative Agreement fits ideally with WSDA's Mission to serve the people of Washington by supporting the agricultural community and promoting consumer and environmental protection. Our analysts are knowledgeable and experienced in multiple food matrices, pathogens, toxins and testing environments. Also our Laboratory has the necessary space to support this additional work and if funded, we propose to hire a microbiologist dedicated to adopting FERN methods and getting them validated in our laboratory environment. If our FERN proposal is accepted we are willing and able to address all three project areas incorporated in this Cooperative Agreement: [unreadable] Participate in FDA/FERN sample analysis; [unreadable] Provide analytical data for potential regulatory utilization;and [unreadable] Participate in small-scale method development, method validation and matrix extension work as determined by FERN NPO. WSDA is eager to become a FERN-funded laboratory and be an active participant in assisting FERN and FDA in protecting public health and the nation's food supply from both natural and intentional threats.